A student carried out an experiment to measure the acceleration of a moving trolley - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 1 - 2012

The student used a motion sensor or distance measuring tool (like a stopwatch and measuring tape) to measure the trolley's final velocity.

• The final velocity can be calculated using the formula: $v_f = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}}$
• Measure the distance the trolley traveled by timing the movement (using 'eleven' dots on a track as a reference) to ensure accuracy over multiple trials.

The student measured the initial velocity of the trolley when it started moving, using the same motion sensor or timer to ensure consistency in measurement.

The student calculated the acceleration using the formula: $a = \frac{v_f - v_i}{t}$

• Where:
  • $a$ is the acceleration,
  • $v_f$ is the final velocity,
  • $v_i$ is the initial velocity,
  • $t$ is the time taken for the trolley to move.
• The change in velocity is taken, divided by the time to determine the acceleration.

The student ensured an accurate result by repeating the experiment multiple times and calculating the average of the initial and final velocities. This minimizes the error caused by any outlier data points and improves the reliability of the measured values.